Abstract: A cylindrical battery comprises a spiral electrode assembly having a positive electrode plate being provided with a porous nickel sintered substrate using a nickel coated steel plate as a conductive core substrate, and containing a positive electrode active material mainly including a nickel hydroxide, a negative electrode plate, and a separator, and the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate are wound into a spiral form interposing the separator therebetween, and the positive electrode plate has a positive core substrate tab portion in which the conductive core substrate is exposed without the porous nickel sintered substrate at one end portion in the height direction, and in in a finally wound end portion of the spiral electrode assembly, a corner tip portion of the positive core substrate tab portion is bent in a direction toward an axis of the spiral electrode assembly.

Abstract: Apparatus for changing the concentration of a selected gas in a liquid, the apparatus comprising a flow chamber through which the liquid is passed and which comprises a wall comprising a planar separation membrane, the separation membrane being substantially impermeable to the liquid and permeable to the selected gas, characterized in that the separation member extends beyond the flow chamber and provides a seal between components of the apparatus. The apparatus is particularly useful for degassing liquids, for example HPLC eluents and analysis samples.

Abstract: A rechargeable lithium battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a nonaqueous electrolyte, said positive or negative electrode being an electrode which has, on a current collector, a thin film of active material that stores and releases lithium, the thin film of active material being divided into columns by gaps formed therein in a manner to extend in its thickness direction, and the columnar portions being at their bottoms adhered to the current collector, the rechargeable lithium battery being characterized in that the nonaqueous electrolyte includes a mixed solvent consisting of two or more different solvents and containing at least ethylene carbonate and/or vinylene carbonate as its constituent.